WordPress is a content management system that allows anyone to create a website. It powers 40-60% of all websites on the internet because of its ease of use for both bloggers and web developers alike.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are the main websites for WordPress and are two solutions for creating a WordPress site. WordPress.com allows a user to create a website with no experience, making it great for people who are new to creating websites. Hosting, domains, and support are all offered by WordPress.com, and there is no need to seek third parties to host your website.
Meanwhile, WordPress.org allows you to self-host a WordPress site. This means that you are responsible for purchasing your hosting and domain name, and setting up your entire WordPress site. You will not get any support from WordPress.com, as they are not responsible for managing your site. However, if any hosting provider other than WordPress.com offers “WordPress hosting” with “support” or “management,” it means that they use software offered by WordPress.org to host and manage your site, and will act like “WordPress.com” in providing you assistance to host your “WordPress.org” website. If you do need any support for your WordPress.org website, you can still get support from the WordPress.org forums, though they are harder to navigate and are less active than WordPress.com’s forums.
Is WordPress.com or WordPress.org Better?
WordPress.com is a better website for newcomers to creating websites, as it requires no initial setup, and both hosting and domains are handled. Plus, it has an easy-to-navigate UI for newcomers to website builders. WordPress.org sites are better for people with more experience in creating websites, as they tend to have older and harder-to-navigate UI and more settings and features than a WordPress.com site.
The Pros and Cons of a WordPress.com Site
“Free” WordPress.com sites are great for providing hosting, domains, and support, without the hassle of handling your website with multiple third parties. They also offer a wide variety of themes that are not always available to WordPress.org sites. However, “Free” WordPress.com sites will display ads (usually spam) from WordPress sponsors that the site owner cannot curate. Additionally, you have to pay to monetize your site with your own advertisements.
The Pros and Cons of a WordPress.org Site
There is no option to set up a WordPress.org site for “Free,” as there is always the cost of domains, hosting, etc. However, the price for setting up a WordPress.org site with third parties pays off with the plentiful features that WordPress.org offers for “Free” that WordPress.com does not. One of these features is the ability to use custom themes, which is unavailable for WordPress.com sites. Since WordPress.com themes are downloadable, you also can use WordPress.com themes and any themes available on the internet. You can also download plugins (additional features) to WordPress.org sites without having to change your domain entirely.
Note that the cost comes in purchasing domains and hosting your website, which does not make WordPress.org sites “Free.” If you are not experienced with web development or want it to be easy to manage your website, it may be better to use WordPress.com for managing your site as it has the same features if you pay a subscription fee.
Conclusion
WordPress.com sites are better for newcomers to creating websites, as it is easier to navigate than WordPress.org, and still offers WordPress.org features if you pay for them. WordPress.org sites are better for experienced website creators or developers who want more customizability in creating their websites.